16 Students Nabbed In Iligan City For Gathering to Call Out Anti-Terror Bill
ANTI-TERROR BILL – Sixteen (16) students were arrested in Iligan City for gathering to call out Anti-terror bill.
The Anti-terror bill aims to toughen the Philippine government’s anti-terrorism policies. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte previously certified it as an urgent bill.
However, several lawyers, groups, and celebrities raised their concerns about the controversial bill with campaign #JunkTerrorBillNow. They are worried that the government might abuse its power and suppress free speech.
In a previous article, Chief Presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo said they have reviewed the bill. He said it contains “sufficient safeguards” and assured the citizens that it will serve as their powerful weapon against terrorist attacks.
The lawyer asked President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to sign the Anti-terror bill already. “The proposed Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 will serve as a powerful weapon against participants of these lawless actions, the threat of which is extremely imminent during our current times,” he said.
READ ALSO: Tito Sotto Reacts to Lucy Torres’s Anti-Terrorism Bill Statement
The county celebrated it’s 122 Independence Day yesterday. Lots of people defy the bad weather and quarantine to protest against the Anti-terror bill. Based on a report from GMA News, cops arrested at least 16 youth protesters in Barangay Pala-o, Iligan City on Friday.
Police Regional Office X chief Police Brigadier General Rolando Anduyan said the 16 individuals were members of the Iligan Youth Advocate and STAND-IIT groups. He said the protest was held in front of Iligan Medical Center and was led by a certain Franz Luigi Yaun.
According to the report, Anduyan said the student was protesting against the Anti-terror bill and call for COVID-19 mass testing in the country. The authorities arrested them for violating the social distancing order. The students were later released from police custody.
Kabataan Party-list Representative Sarah Elago Tweeted that the cops gave the youth protesters 10 minutes to conduct their protest rally but they went after them before the 10-minute period expire. She said only 14 individuals were arrested by the cops.
UPDATE ON ILIGAN 14 FROM STAND IIT FB PAGE#RELEASEILIGAN14 pic.twitter.com/uiTgrzmya8
— Sarah Elago (@sarahelago) June 12, 2020
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READ ALSO: Sotto Lambasts Critics Of “Anti-Terror” Bill For Seeking Veto From Duterte
